City are short in the right-back area with Micah Richards and Maicon both out with injuries, but Zabaleta feels he is ready to return from the hamstring problem that has ruled him out of the last three games.

"I feel good," he told the club's official website. "I've been training with the team and I think I should be fine to play on Saturday. We have some problems in defence at the moment. We've had three full-backs injured over the past few months, so it is great to be back with the team."

Zabaleta said: "It's very disappointing for Micah. He's been injured from the start of the season, then he came back and was playing well, but now he has this knee injury.

"This is a time when he has to be extra strong. Obviously it is difficult physically, but also mentally it is very tough when you are injured, you have to stay very strong."

There is also hope that Javi Garcia will be fit to play at West Ham. The former Benfica man has missed the last four games with a thigh injury and, with David Silva and Jack Rodwell also unavailable, City were forced to recall Abdul Razak from a loan spell at Charlton.